Church in Wales: Managed decline?

GB voting                                                                       Source: Church in Wales

 The Governing Body of the Church in Wales meets in September 2023.

From the Annual Report and Accounts 2022 of the Representative Body [Session 2, Agendum 9]:

Risk Management Policy

"3. Accelerated decline in church attendance

"The continuation of declining attendance and an increasing age profile would result in declining financial income for dioceses: this would lead to an inability to present established patterns of ministry to the whole of Wales. The Representative Body endeavours to maintain the highest financial support to dioceses possible. Also, a renewed focus on mission and evangelism, including additional financial resources being made available, aims to stimulate church growth."

News Posted: 23 August 2023

"The distribution of more than £137m to churches across Wales will be discussed at a key meeting of Church in Wales members next month.

"The money is being released from historic reserves over the next decade to help churches grow and serve their communities more effectively. Investment will be made in development of new ministries and initiatives, as well as in strengthening existing work."

'New ministries and initiatives'! No doubt awaited with eager anticipation. 

Religion of peace remains silent on violence against Christians

The aftermath of an arson attack in Jaranwala                          Source: ACNUK

Aid to the Church in Need reports: "Mass exodus as mob burns churches and homes in Pakistan. Mosques incited violence, causing a sense of terror and uncertainty among Christians.

"Up to 15 church buildings have been attacked and hundreds of Christian homes destroyed after extremists went on the rampage in Pakistan."

The response reported by Reuters: "Pakistani police arrest two Christians accused of blasphemy."

I have yet to hear any condemnation of these attacks on innocent people and their property, in particular from the Swansea Mosque and Community Centre which recently received a Community Cohesion grant of £300k from the Welsh Government.

The Welsh First Minister has since instructed his Ministers to find £900m cuts in public services. 

Some cohesion!

Postscripts 

[19.08.2023]

In Pakistan Muslims are now desecrating the graves of Christians. 

https://twitter.com/CatholicArena/status/1692832406477103610

In Nigeria Killings of Christians ‘going on and on’, with no arrests made.

"The world is refusing to help those who are being persecuted." More here.

[21.08.2023]

Community Cohesion! 

Muslim harasses elderly Christian, tries to provoke a confrontation but it is worse in Muslim majority countries while critics of this sort of behaviour are accused of Islamophobia!

[28.08.2023]

"Pakistan's Jaranwala violence: Gov't must root out cause of anti-Christian attacks" - A Pakistani Christian living in Australia writes: "History tells us that in a few weeks, the media will forget about this incident, the Pakistani government will forget its promises, the money allocated for the persecuted Christians' support will magically vanish, and these hapless people whose lives have been turned upside down will all be forgotten.  Little by little, on their own, they will start to rebuild their lives in the hopes of a better future – somewhere, somehow."

[02.09.2023]

Kidnappings and Murders of Christians Escalate in Nigeria’s Extremist Crisis

Caption corner 11 August, 2023

Source: Twitter

As usual publishable captions will appear as comments.

No honour among thieves

 

In This is not Dibley I referred to the MailOnline story: "Remind me, it is 2023, isn’t it?’: Why has the Cornish town Dawn French loves risked such an unholy row by refusing its own Vicar of Dibley?"

The report: 'Cornish church reverses ban on female vicars' has given church feminists and toadying MPs a field day.

These feminists have used the Church for their own political purposes, accusing, scheming and reneging. Promises and agreements that enabled them to reach their goal mean nothing.

Listen to the blatant misrepresentation by the chair of WATCH as she seeks help [to] bring "discrimination" in the Church of England  to an end. As did the recently retired bishop of St Davids, WATCH regard difference of opinion, even when based on fact, as discrimination and prejudice

There have also been attempts to redefine gender language used about God. In The Mother Church: Turning God Trans published in Crisis Magazine [a recommended read - AB] it is suggested that a disproportionate number of those pushing for change would appear to be 'left-wing female vicars'.

No honour from certain MPs either, including the the Father of the House, a self-declared WATCH supporter, who appear unable or unwilling to distinguish between equality and theology regardless of measures agreed to,

Anglicanism in this country is dying. The Church in Wales is leading the decline with their one-track strategy of inclusion and diversity which again uses the Church to advance a political cause at the expense of others. 

If only a fraction of the effort put into their latest 'outreach-social justice' drive had been devoted to the excluded things may have been different. St Davids diocese is watched with trepidation as they prepare to elect their new bishop. Scripture, reason and tradition must not again be sacrificed to secularism.

Despite denials the Roman Catholic Church is creeping in the same direction in proposing women deacons and Catholic LGBTQ+ advocates. This has arisen as a real possibility through the Synod on Synodality, which was launched by Pope Francis in October 2021.

This is a repeat of the push for Anglican women deacons. It was claimed that it did not mean that they would become priests if made deacons. As deacons they argued that it was discrimination if they could not be ordained to the priesthood followed by the threefold ministry argument that it would be discriminatory not to allow women bishops.

Now that they have achieved their aim and converted Anglicanism to conform with their own desires they want to get rid of anyone who does not share their warped ideas of equality.

There is no honour among thieves.